Rear Wheel Removal - Final Drive Unit - Hub/Spine Greasing

[Charlie G]

Looks a bit worn. Good on you.

cg

[growler]

[growler]

Found a couple that match part numbers. Ended up purchasing this one for $54 shipped.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=181520660960&globalID=EBAY-US

I know I apply the M-77 to the actual splines, and not all over the place.

Do I apply any type of other grease to any other parts when reassembling?

[bwringer]

Awesome pics!

If anyone else in the future insists their splines are "just a little bit worn", we'll refer them to this thread.


As far as grease, I'd put just a thin film of any "normal" waterproof grease on the spline unit's "pegs" that go down into the bushings in the wheel, just to keep them from corroding and getting stuck. Same for the smooth part of the axle where it slides through the bearings and spacers.

[storm 64]

Question. I was under the impression that the early (79,80) Black wheel spline was the one to get. Stay away from gold, silver ones. So are the later Intruder Volusia wheel spline the hot set up? There cheaper and easier to find... But are they just as good or better than the black ones?

[growler]

I was just following the advice of bwringer in one of his earlier posts:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?233314-Rear-Wheel-Removal-Final-Drive-Unit-Hub-Spine-Greasing&p=2201058#post2201058

[storm 64]

Rodger that Growler. Thanks for the enlightenment. The used black spine I bought showed a little wear when I installed it. I'm thinking of just getting a new one and install when I change my tire... Kind of dumb putting a used one in there in the first place.

[growler]

If I had found a black one first I would have purchased it too based on its price....the one I bought just happened to be there and the teeth looked new. Now to wait for its arrival - the hardest part!

[growler]

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it.

Awesome pics!

If anyone else in the future insists their splines are "just a little bit worn", we'll refer them to this thread.


As far as grease, I'd put just a thin film of any "normal" waterproof grease on the spline unit's "pegs" that go down into the bushings in the wheel, just to keep them from corroding and getting stuck. Same for the smooth part of the axle where it slides through the bearings and spacers.

[bwringer]

Question. I was under the impression that the early (79,80) Black wheel spline was the one to get. Stay away from gold, silver ones. So are the later Intruder Volusia wheel spline the hot set up? There cheaper and easier to find... But are they just as good or better than the black ones?

The later silver splines are fine. They're just as good as the black splines.

I think for a while there very few of us had seen the later silver splines side by side with the gold splines and color balance in digital photography was iffy, so it was hard to tell the difference.


The History of the Spline

If you do a bit of diving in the parts fiches, you can find the following:

In the original '79 GS850 fiche, this part number was 64681-45100, and the "pegs" were listed separately. There was a recall of some sort related to these pegs or the retention hardware. I've got an NOS recall kit on the shelf with a replacement black spline and hardware, and instructions for replacing the old driven spline. Not sure what exactly happened or what the issue was.

In 1980, the spline became one unit and was black. At some point in late '81, this part became the infamous "soft" splines used in all shafties through 1984. This part was later superceded through a couple of other part numbers on the Intruders (700, 750, and 800, Volusia), 1990-93 VX800, and 1991-93 GSX1100G until 64680-45113 appeared in 1995. This is the part number still in use today on Suzuki's C50/S50 (805cc) cruisers.

From what I can tell, the spline was only a problem on the late '81-'84 GS shafties. On all others, it was never much of an issue, even on the powerful GSX1100G. (The 1400+cc Intruders and the M109 use a different driven spline unit.)

The early (1986-1994) Intruder splines used a different part number, but interchange with the GS version. Overall, I'd be most comfortable with the 1995 or later spline, but any Intruder, VX800, etc. spline in good shape should be fine. As with any used part, it's possible that someone abused or didn't maintain it and you can't always tell much from photos unless the spline is out of the wheel, as demonstrated above.

Basically, the spline unit in the early '80s was not hardened correctly or was incorrectly designed. Some feel it's supposed to be a sacrificial part, and they simply made it, uh, too sacrificial. Or it could have been a problem with the hardening process.

In any case, the fact remains that on any GS shaftie with a gold driven spline, the driven spline WILL fail, no exceptions. Update it pronto, or cultivate friends with pickups.

[growler]

Wow, thanks for dropping some knowledge! Excellent info.

[Wingsconsin]

So -- would it be BEST to purchase this part NEW ? From some other bike previously listed that uses the same one?
Any suggestions on what is the best practice method for this as a long term solution...MY bike has less than 30,000 miles on it and will be around a long time I suspect so I would like to at minimum inventory a replacement part for the future....

[storm 64]

That is what I'm going to do, buy new. It only makes sense, you wouldn't put a used sprocket on your motorcycle. The less SLOP the better. Think of it this way: Try pounding in a nail using one inch of stroke ( very little force) Now try pounding in a nail using twelve inches of stroke (a lot of force) ... Maybe I'm over thinking this, I tend to do that sometimes.... I think this thread covered all aspects of the GS Suzuki wheel spline.

[growler]

I have the M-77 paste for the actual splines, but as bwringer suggested, I need to purchase some grease for a light coat on the axle and the spline "rods" when I reinsert it. I thought I had some other type of grease around the garage, but I don't.

What kind of grease should I use for the axle and spline "rods?" Bwringer said "normal waterproof" grease - I've never purchased before and want to make sure I get the right stuff. Thanks!

[bwringer]

I may be overthinking this, but for stuff like this (coating parts or for bearings, I mean) I usually get a good waterproof grease from a motorcycle/powersports shoppe. Anyplace that sells dirtbikes and ATVs will have a grease designed primarily to stay in place in tough conditions. A pound tub is usually $5 - $8 and will last you for years. You can also get a grease labeled "waterproof" from any auto parts store.

For the wheel bearings on my trailer, I use a wheel bearing grease from an auto parts store that's designed primarily to cope with the heat of high-speed travel.

Probably doesn't make any real-life difference, to be honest.

You do want to avoid mixing different greases -- for example, when you're repacking trailer wheel bearings, clean out all the old grease with solvent. Or if you're repacking suspension bearings, clean out the old grease as best you can.